Earring clips of the spring pressure type having adjustable contact spacing and which utilize a transversely mounted screw member adapted for axial back and forth movement in relationship to the clip portion to which it is mounted, are generally known. Commercial embodiments of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,176,475 issued Apr. 6, 1965 and 3,987,644 issued Oct. 26, 1976, both to the present inventor. Both such constructions utilize an opening or openings provided in the terminal portion of one of the jaw members such that an adjusting screw may be moved transversely thereof. In the '475 patent, a terminal tooth 34 interengages the threads 28 of the screw 25 while in the '644 patent, an arcuately recessed terminal end portion 48 having a leading edge 49 is adapted to be disposed between the individual threads of the screw 44. The above citation and discussion of these patents constitutes applicant's Prior Art Disclosure and in that regard, a copy of each such patent is enclosed with this application.
Despite the commercial acceptance of the ear clip constructions above discussed, it may be seen that such to some extent require a fixed screw diameter in order to acheive smooth non-binding thread manipulation. Inasmuch as such ear clips are often plated with decorative or functional material coatings, the effective diameter of the screw may be greater than that intended, such that binding or other ineffective operation of the screw results. Generally, the earring clip components are formed from any suitable metallic material and are thereafter further coated, as by electroplating or other known procedures.
Also, since the threaded engagement in both of the aforementioned patents is achieved by contact of a blade-like extension against one side only of the screw, stripping of the screw with respect to its threaded support is too easily achieved.
It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide an earring pressure clip construction having a threaded adjusting screw wherein the screw is threadably received by a non-threaded bore or opening in such a manner that the screw is threadably engaged by upper and lower edges of said opening at spaced axial points on said screw to effect a relatively secure threaded interengagement.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an earring clip construction which will operate smoothly within an expanded range of screw diameters such as may be caused by coating build-up thereon.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an earring clip construction of the aforementioned type wherein the bore or opening which threadably receives the screw will automatically self-adjust so as to effectively accommodate slight variations in screw diameter.
These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing a generally C-shaped loop at the terminal portion of one of the jaw members wherein the root portion of said loop is provided with an opening that freely receives the adjusting screw, while the top terminal segment thereof is provided with an aligned angularly inclined opening adapted to threadably engage the screw member at axially spaced locations, such that upward biasing of the terminal segment towards a more normal disposition with regard to the screw member will effectively enlarge the diameter of the opening so as to accommodate variations in screw diameter.
Other objects, features and addvantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawing.